The Good Life – March-April 2019
Featuring fitness trainer Jake Haile. Local Hero - F-M Ambulance, Having a Beer with Travis Hopkins, Scuba Recovery and more in Fargo Moorhead's only men's magazine.
Featuring fitness trainer Jake Haile. Local Hero - F-M Ambulance, Having a Beer with Travis Hopkins, Scuba Recovery and more in Fargo Moorhead's only men's magazine.
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“Sure, some of the things in court aren’t so much fun. But some are.<br />
I love adoptions... everyone's happy in the courtroom with adoptions.”<br />
all these people commit crimes. I<br />
want to tell you it’s mostly white<br />
folks that we see in the courtroom.”<br />
<strong>The</strong> other, more subtle change<br />
that's taken place during<br />
Marquart's tenure has been<br />
the rapid increase in efficiency<br />
thanks to technology. It's been a<br />
much-needed innovation that has<br />
allowed the system to keep up with<br />
the burgeoning caseloads.<br />
“<strong>The</strong> electronic part has been a big<br />
change, and it all started with this<br />
software,” Marquart said, pointing<br />
to the flat screen monitor on the<br />
desk behind him. “I can type in<br />
a case number and see all of the<br />
documents relating to that case,<br />
which is a huge change from the<br />
old days when I’d send a law clerk<br />
8 / THE GOOD LIFE / urbantoadmedia.com<br />
down to the clerk’s office to bring a<br />
paper file up.<br />
“And when I’m on the bench, I<br />
used to have a stack of files this<br />
high,” he said, lifting his hand high<br />
above his head. “Now I can see any<br />
document connected to the case<br />
right on my computer screen on<br />
my desk at the bench. We also use<br />
a lot of ITV [interactive television]<br />
in this courthouse, where they’re<br />
in the jail and just appearing<br />
before me on the TV. That perhaps<br />
has been the biggest change… the<br />
advancement in technology. It’s<br />
very efficient.”<br />
<strong>The</strong> <strong>Good</strong>, the Bad... and the After<br />
Hours<br />
In a job with a fair amount of<br />
paperwork, it shouldn’t be a<br />
surprise to learn that Marquart’s<br />
favorite part of the gig is presiding<br />
over a courtroom.<br />
“I love being in court,” he said.<br />
“Sure, some of the things in court<br />
aren’t so much fun. But some are. I<br />
love adoptions... everyone's happy<br />
in the courtroom with adoptions.<br />
I also like my ordinary criminal<br />
appearance day and just knowing<br />
what’s going on in this community<br />
when you and I are sleeping. I<br />
often say this is the best job I’ve<br />
ever had.”<br />
<strong>The</strong> hard part comes when he sees<br />
the repeat offenders. Try as he<br />
might to see the hope in each case<br />
and give people their fair chance<br />
to improve their plight, Marquart
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